NY Jets have the worst defense in the NFL since firing Robert Saleh

Former NY Jets head coach Robert Saleh had his fair share of flaws, that much has never been disputed. But what's become abundantly clear since the surprising decision to fire him following the Jets' 2-3 start to the 2024 season is that Saleh was the mastermind behind his team's defense.

The Jets have consistently had one of the NFL's best defenses under Saleh's leadership. That much remained true even throughout the team's early-season struggles. The defense had taken a step back, largely due to personnel differences, but it was still one of the better units in the league.

From Weeks 1-5, the Jets' defense ranked sixth overall in total defensive EPA. The Jets' defense ranked fifth in the NFL in EPA per dropback and 14th in EPA per rushing attempt. The Jets had a top-five pass defense and a top-15 run defense under Saleh to start the year.

What's transpired since has been a complete and utter decimation of what was once one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Jeff Ulbrich era has been an unmitigated disaster.

The NY Jets' defense has collapsed under Jeff Ulbrich

The Jets actually rank 32nd in the NFL in defensive EPA since Saleh was fired following that Week 5 loss. Ulbrich's defense is statistically the worst in the NFL since Saleh's departure.

The Jets' supposed elite pass defense ranks fourth-worst in EPA per dropback since Week 6 while the run defense now ranks third-worst. Woody Johnson transformed what was arguably still a top-five defense into the worst defense in the NFL with his short-sighted, impulsive decision.

Now, this isn't to say that the decision to fire Saleh was unjustifiable. Saleh had coached the Jets to an abysmal 20-36 record as head coach. The team routinely fell flat in the face of adversity and struggled mightily with inconsistency and penalty woes.

Saleh deserved to be fired, but the timing of the decision on top of the belief that Ulbrich would suddenly fix all of the Jets' issues is ultimately where Johnson went wrong.

Firing Saleh didn't provide the "spark" that Johnson was looking for. It didn't fix the Jets' accountability issues nor did it help them win games. Instead, firing Saleh only tanked what was still one of the best defenses in the NFL. It broke one of the only aspects of the team that didn't need fixing.

Saleh's hands were all over every aspect of the defense from play-calling to game-planning. Ulbrich is now being asked to simultaneously continue his role as defensive coordinator while assuming all of Saleh's head coach responsibilities. He's overworked — in over his head.

The Jets probably aren't a playoff team with Saleh as their head coach. They probably don't win 10 games this season even if Saleh isn't fired. But it's become painfully obvious that the decision to fire Saleh when the Jets did was a mistake.

The Jets have the worst defense in the NFL, and Woody Johnson can't blame this one on Saleh.

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